Monelison department answered record call volume in 2023 [Video]

Emergency and fire-related calls in 2023 increased across the board among Amherst County’s three volunteer fire agencies and county’s public safety department, according to Public Safety Director Brad Beam.

The Monelison Volunteer Fire Department responded to 774 calls last year, figures Beam’s office provided show.

“That is actually a milestone for us,” Monelison Chief Joey Malott said an interview. “It’s the most we ran since we were established in 1959.”

The calls included car wrecks, brush fires, structure fires, entrapments, swift water rescues and other incidents, he said. The dry season in late 2023 led to a number of brush fires that contributed to the increase, Malott said.

The Amherst Fire Department fielded 477 calls in 2023, which was up 10% from 405 calls and the most the agency ever recorded in it history spanning more than 100 years.

The Monelison department, which is headquartered next to Amelon Elementary School, …